Container closure



Feb. 27, 1940. E, s,4 B-EARDSLEY 2,191,447

CONTAINER cLosURE Filed April 21, 1937 A @MAM M/ fw .,um

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-'lcs CONTAINER CLOSURE `Emery S. eardsley, Glendale, Calif. Application April 2l, 1937, .Serial No. 138,265 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-3'1) air which is admitted into the container to promote an even ow of the liquid from the container. Such filtering mediums have, however, been unsatisfactory because it is necessary to attach them after or during the opening of the seal on the container, because ofter the filtering material itself becomes wet by contact with the. liquid and no longer serves as an adequate air filter, and because if the ltering material is attached to the container at the time same is iilled, it is practically impossible to form anair" tight closure for the container.

An object of the .present invention is to provide a closure in which the lter is maintained below the sealing member and out of interfer-A ence therewith, while at the same time the lter is maintained effective with its eiciency un-r impaired by the'solution. A further object is to provide a closure which can be readily and expeditiously sealed to render the container -airtight and, if desired, to maintain a partial vacuum in said container, while at'the same time automatically filtering the air which enters the container during the dispensing operation. Other specic objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is described in preferred embodiments by the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of a closure assembly showing one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.- 3, a transverse sectional view of a container provided with a modified form of closure assembly, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

In the practice of my invention, I prefer to employ a container suchA as, for. example, that illustrated in Baxter Patent No.v 2,004,027, although it will be understood that many types of containers and closures therefor may be adapted to the present invention. 'y

In' the structure shown in Figs. l and 2, l0 designates a plug which may be formed of rubber or any other suitable material. The plug 5 is provided with a pair of openings, one opening II being adapted to receive a connecting nipple with which a tube leading to the hypodermic needle, etc. may be connected. The other opening I2 is adapted to receive on its lower side a l0 glass tube 3 through which air may pass to the opposite end of the container. 'I'he plug provides a seat I4 adapted to receive the bead I5 of tube I3. A short distance above the seat I4 and spaced above the bead I5 is a second seat I6 l5 formed by widening thepassage at that point andadapted to receive a ltering body I1. The filtering body may be of any suitable material. I prefer to employ a material which will not dissolve in water or in the solutions employed for 20 the intravenous or subcutaneous injections.

The plug I0 is provided at its top with an outwardly :flared liange portion I8 adapted to rest on thetop edge of the container. In addition,

VI prefer to have the plug equipped at its top 25 with a ridge'l9 extending across the'top surface land dividing the top surface of the plug. Thel tainer, as shown. more clearly in' said Baxter is preferably formed of a material which will 5g notdissolve in water or .in the-solutions emp ployed `for vintravenous injections, said solutions consisting of water containing salt or dextrose, or both,I but sometimes containing other materials. For this purpose I have found a porcelain air inlet tube I3.

f the solution.

nlter very satisfactory. In order to prevent the porcelain from shedding or forming a dust which might contaminate the solution when the porcelain lter I'I is placed in position on seat I6,

I prefer vto round the corners of the porcelain as indicated by lthe numeral' 2 I. Also, I have found that the formation of any dust or particles ca n be prevented by glazing Athe sides of theV porcelain block I'I lying adjacent the walls of the plug. The porcelain does not dissolve in the water.

through opening I2 and the air ltering mem ber I1.. The nipple for drainingoff the liquid is secured in openings II, and the container which is supported in inverted position permits the liquid todrain away through the nipple while the air which replaces the spaceleft by the withdrawn liquid constantly passes through iilter I1 and enters the container without carrying any impurities thereinto. y

In the modification shown Vin Figs. 3 and 4,

the rubber plug I I is provided-with an integrally formed split tube 23 which is received withinthe beomitted. 'I'he plug is providedwith an enlarged opening 24. having a constricted upper outlet 25. In the opening 2l isv Aplaced cotton or otherl suitable ltering-material. The split tube 23 serves to permit airto enter thereontainer, but prevents the solution from escaping upwardly into opening 24 and wetting the cotton orother iiltering/ material which might be' rendered ineective if brought into contact with The container A is provided with a neck having its lower portion a bead 26. AV rubber sealing disk is placed over the two openings of the plug and a single metal cap 28 is placed over the assembly and the lower portions spun 'under'. thebead 26to lock the cap securely in position upon the container. A If desired, a threaded cap member mayJ be employed. In 4the construction shown, the top of the cap is scored deeply at the point indicated by. the numeral 29, and connectedto this portion is a tear flap 3l. In operating the device, the operator may grasp the tear flap 30,drawthe same upwardly and then remove the circular disk portion 3l' by tearing vthe same along the circular scored or weakened line 29. The remainder of the disk 28 remains in position, locking the-plug Il within the neck of the container and preventing its removal when the container is in its inverted position for the dispensing of the solution.

In the structure shown, it will be noted that the ltering material is constantly housed within the plug itself and need not bemanipulated or eventouched by the operator. It is rendered automatically effective ,by `its being made nnngwater-soluble or by preventing water from reach- .-ing the chamber in which the lter is housed.

Further, by the; construction shown, the container can be evacuatedreadily without affecting the If desired, the tube I3',L may` alter and sealed tightly by bringing the nexible sealing strips againstthe top smooth surface of theplug.

While I have shown a container and assembly especially adapted for preserving sterile solutions 'spirit of my invention.

The foregoing detailed ydescription has been given for clearness of'understanding. only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom,;b ut the appended claims shouldbe .construed/ as broadly asperinissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim: 1.v In a closure body ofthe character set forth,

a plug provided with an air passage and a liquid passage, said' plug having a ridge extending between said openings, andsemi--circular sealing members each extendingover one of said openings and each having its straight side lying adjacent said ridge.

. 2. In combination with a liquid container having an opening at one end and adapted to be supported in invertedposition for the dispensing of liquid, a closure body in 'said opening, said body having two vertical passages extending therethrough, a tube extending into one of said body passages and having its other free end extending lfinto the interior of said container, and means within said last-'mentioned passage 'and associated with said tube for maintaining a column of water within said tube when said liquid container is inverted', said means also permittingair to pass inwardly and through said body of water within said tube', said closure body having a substantially flat surface .and a seal normally closing 'said openings when the container is in upright position.

3. In combination with a liquid container havsupported in invertedposition for the dispensing of lliquid,rc'zlosuremeans within said opening providing two vertical passages, and means associated with one of said vertical passages for providing a body of water which does not flow out ofsaid container when the said container `isinverted for the dispensing of liquid, said means permitting the inilow o f 'air through said body of water, and -a resilient seal normally closing .ing an opening in one end andadapted to be said vertical passages whenv the container is in upright position.4

4. In combination with a liquid container having an opening at one end and adapted to be supported in inverted position for the dispensing of liquid, a closure body vin said opening having vat least two vertical passages extending therethrough,'a glass tube extending into one vof said passages and having its free end extending to- .ward theopposite interior end of the container,

a porous body in said last-mentioned vertical passage and associated with` said tube, said body having openings therein 'sufficientlyminute to prevent the flowing of -liquid therethrough while 

